Shoes’ new use has Crocs doggone proud

NIWOT — Crocs Inc. is getting marketing help from an unlikely source: a dog in Florida who now wears two green child’s-size Crocs shoes to help him walk.

A certified prosthetic specialist at Westcoast Brace & Limb in Tampa, Florida, made braces for the paralyzed back legs of Spencer, a 2-year-old English bulldog. The Crocs shoes were put on the bottoms of the braces to help stabilize the dog’s gait.

The story was covered by Tampa ABC affiliate WFTS-TV Channel 28, and the video of the report about Spencer has created a minor sensation on the Internet as well as at Crocs, said Shelley Weibel, a spokeswoman at the Niwot-based company.

“We told them if they need more shoes, just to let us know if we can ever be of assistance,” Weibel said. “(We want to) help out on these rare occasions when our four-legged friends are in need.”

Crocs (Nasdaq: CROX) does a variety of charity programs and has given away more than 3 million pairs of shoes through its “Crocs Cares” program, Weibel said. The company also participates in community volunteer work.

Spencer’s paralyzed back legs were wrapped with a fiberglass wrap, and the braces were made the traditional way, according to the news story copyrighted by Scripps Media Inc. posted online on Monday, Nov. 19.

It appears Spencer received a spinal cord injury because someone dropped him or stomped on him as a puppy, according to the news story.